Marina Dock Age

Each year two marinas in the United States (one small—fewer than 250 slips and one large—250+ slips) are selected to win. These marinas will have achieved success through exemplary business practices, commitment to customer service, environmental responsibility, and contributions to the marina industry. Winners will be featured in one of our 2011 issues.

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Dock Street Marina and Las Vegas Boat Harbor
named 2009 Marina of the Year award winners

In some of the toughest judging in years, an 80-slip waterfront marina that opened in 2005 and a 52-year-old marina that calls itself one of the largest inland marinas in North America are the winners of the 2009 Marina of the Year awards for small and large marinas. Dock Street Marina in Tacoma, Wash., is the winner in the category of marinas with fewer than 250 slips. Las Vegas Boat Harbor in Henderson, Nev., which opened in 1957 on Lake Mead with a couple of trailers on the beach and no phones, is the winner for marinas with more than 250 slips.

In tough economic times, these two marinas proved that it is possible to grow through the development of strong marketing and environmental efforts. Dock Street Marina’s general manager received a “Tourism Professional of the Year” award from the Tacoma Convention and Visitors Bureau for his outstanding tourism efforts. Bob Gripentog purchased a neighboring marina in 2008 that nearly doubled the marina’s existing capacity and was another milestone in his efforts toward fulfilling everyone’s boating wants and needs.

Fewer than 250 slips
Dock Street Marina is one of two marinas on the city’s waterfront owned by the city of Tacoma. The marinas has 80 slips, 55 permanent ones and 25 transient. Dock Street Marina offers clean facilities and amenities and provides almost concierge-level service to both visiting and permanent boaters alike.

Craig Perry manages Dock Street Marina for the city of Tacoma and is one of the major reasons why this area of Tacoma has become a top tourist attraction and portal to the city. In fact, the Tacoma Convention and Visitors Bureau recently honored Perry as its “Tourism Professional of the Year.”

Under Perry’s management, guest moorage has grown every year since the marina opened in 2005. In fact, in 2009 guest moorage was up nearly 40 percent, and the number of repeat customers coming back to the marina steadily increased.

Perry has formed alliances with local businesses and made the marinas the center of economic activity for the area. The marina hands out guest packs to all boaters that include information about local attractions and discount coupons to local restaurants and museums. He has been able to show through redeemed coupons that businesses working with the marina are getting increased business.

Dock Street Marina’s staff brings a hotel service mentality to the marina. They are proactive instead of reactive, engaging boaters and asking them if they need assistance. Members of the marinas staff are constantly singled out for their outstanding customer service in letters from boaters and customer satisfaction surveys.

As impressive as its business leadership efforts have been, so too are its environmental efforts. The marina has been certified as a Clean Marina since 2006.

You can learn more about Dock Street Marina and why it was named “Marina of the Year” when we profile the marina in our March issue.   

READ MORE ABOUT DOCK STREET MARINA

More than 250 slips

Las Vegas Boat Harbor Inc. is a family owned and operated marina that truly is a full-service marina in every sense of the word. Las Vegas Boat Harbor is the largest marina on Lake Mead in Las Vegas, Nev. It has just fewer than 1,500 slips, including 112-covered garage style dry storage units and 250 open dry storage spaces.

It has two restaurants and lounges, two pumpout stations, a floating fuel dock, and a floating service center on the water. It offers a rental fleet of 24 powerboats, 40 waverunners, and 13 pontoon deck boats.

The marina is operating in the midst of one of the worst droughts to hit the west in many a decade. As a result, the marina took the unprecedented step of moving its docks 12 miles downstream to Hemenway Harbor. It is always on the lookout for ways to upgrade its facilities, including the installation this year of new steel decking to replace its wooden docks.

The Gripentog Family has owned the marina and says that keeping Lake Mead clean is one of its biggest responsibilities. To accomplish this latter task, the marina involves boaters by providing them with environmental information and informing them of the best biodegradable chemicals for cleaning.

Although Las Vegas Boat Harbor is one of the largest inland marinas in the country, the one thing that distinguishes it from others is the family feeling that all its customers experience and truly enjoy. Find out more about why we selected this marina as the winner of the “Marina of the Year” award in our April issue.  READ MORE ABOUT LAS VEGAS BOAT HARBOR